12. SOLID-STATE
LIGHTING (SSL)
The objective of this topic is to more fully engage small
business in the application of key technologies to advance selected solid-state
lighting (
SSL
) products to market. By overcoming
technical and design challenges that today restrict the application of
SSL
to applications largely outside the realm of general illumination; the DOE
hopes to further the performance parameters of this emerging technology.
Grant applications are sought to develop
SSL
products made from light emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light emitting
diodes (OLEDs), and off-grid
SSL
products. All applications must
include: (1) a detailed product
development plan that results in the introduction of a commercially viable
product at the conclusion of Phase III; and a clear description of how the
preliminary concept feasibility proven in Phase I will lead to a more advanced
product developed during Phase II and ultimately, in commercialization during
Phase III; and (2) a detailed energy conservation comparison that numerically
illustrates exactly how the proposed product will offer an energy efficient
alternative to a product currently serving the general illumination market
within the U.S. commercial or residential buildings sector or on relevant
properties. Preference will be given
to commercialization plans that emphasize domestic manufacturing and/or use of
domestic components and labor. Applications
that fail to address all of the above criteria will not be
considered for award.
Grant applications may also be submitted to address
contributing scientific issues that are thought to limit the attainment of the
DOE’s goals for
SSL
. These applications need not
include the detailed commercialization strategy required for product development
proposals.
Grant applications
are sought only in the following subtopics:
a.
SSL
Products made from Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs)—A wide variety of useful products such as traffic signals,
emergency lighting, flashlights, key fobs, small display backlights and consumer
electronics are presently manufactured that take advantage of the performance
advancements made by LED manufacturers. While
a few products such as task lights, under cabinet lighting or other niche
applications are currently in the stream of U.S. commerce and are commercially
viable general illumination products that, in some instances do save energy,
these examples are few. Grant
applications are sought to develop (1) low power, high light yield products; (2)
high power, high brightness, high efficiency products; (3) low duty-cycle and/or
monochromatic products; and (4) products that use combinations of different
colors of LEDs to produce white light. Grant
applications must seek to develop new technology that offers improved efficiency
and better life cycle cost when compared to existing technologies.
Questions - contact James Brodrick (james.brodrick@hq.doe.gov)
b.
SSL
Products made from Organic Light
Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)—Today, nearly all product applications for Organic
Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Phosphorescent OLEDs (PhOLEDs), Polymeric OLEDs
(POLEDs), etc., are for small area displays such as cell phones, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), vehicular audio systems or other consumer
electronics. However, recent
progress in OLED technology suggests that selected general illumination
applications in
U.S.
buildings may be possible. While
the emissive properties of OLEDs are distinctly different than for LEDs, the
unique properties of OLEDs including low distributed brightness, unique color
attributes and low power may be effectively used for energy conserving
applications including, but not limited to emergency lighting, signage,
night-lights or other conspicuity applications.
Grant applications are sought to develop viable products that use any
type of OLED for an application that might be included in
U.S.
buildings and that reduces lighting load either by reducing total luminous
output by judicious choice of spectrum or any other method.
Questions - contact James Brodrick (james.brodrick@hq.doe.gov)
c. Off-Grid
SSL
Products—
SSL
devices have made a significant penetration into many product areas including
general illumination applications. The
unique, low voltage power requirements of these devices are an ideal match to
leading photovoltaic (PV) devices that have exhibited similar advancements in
market penetration and use. Combining
these two leading emerging technologies to create useful products that do not
use electric power supplied by the U.S.
electric grid represents an ideal way to conserve power or to use these devices
where grid power is simply not available or is of uncertain reliability.
Even illumination devices that are not of sufficient efficiency to be
considered for routine use in U.S.
buildings may serve to save energy by providing service that is completely
removed from the grid. While many
useful products have already been introduced and are in fact, used daily (i.e.,
architectural and walkway lighting), there is ample room for new, imaginative
product ideas that remove loads from the grid by shifting power requirements to
a renewable source. Grant
applications are sought for novel products that use a combination of
SSL, PV, wind and batteries. Grant
applications may include architectural facade lighting, remote outdoor lighting,
marine applications, security illumination, emergency or portable lighting, or
any other niche application that takes advantage of the unique properties of any
or all of these emerging technologies. Grant
applications are also sought that provide novel designs of practical devices
that use Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology for the SSL
source, photovoltaic collection system, batteries and controls.
The proposed devices should be cost competitive with the designs they
replace and life cycle cost comparisons are required.
Questions - contact James Brodrick (james.brodrick@hq.doe.gov)
d. Contributing
SSL
Technology—DOE has identified a
list of some of the contributing scientific issues that are thought to limit the
attainment of the DOE’s goals for
SSL
. Grant applications are sought to
develop enabling technologies that (1) increase external quantum efficiency of
LEDs and OLEDs, (2) improve thermal management and increase device performance
of high brightness (HB) LEDs, or (3) improve device life-times for LEDs and
OLEDs. Successful applications need
not include the detailed commercialization strategy required for product
development proposals. The end
product of the proposed projects may be intellectual property that would be
available for license to a third party or may support an existing business
relationship with a manufacturing partner.
Grant applications are also sought to address one or more
of the following issues only: (1)
External quantum efficiency improvements: Internal
quantum efficiencies of both LEDs and OLEDs are increasing rapidly to a point
where out coupling or External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) is thought to limit the
near-term manufacture of practical devices with high device efficacies.
Grant applications are sought to explore and demonstrate novel, practical
and manufacturable methods to increase EQE of selected materials systems.
The chosen system must already possess a demonstrated high IQE and the
application must seek to demonstrate the increase in device efficiency possible
without making fundamental changes to the subject materials system or device
architecture. Applications must
succinctly describe the envisioned EQE increase and include a detailed plan
showing exactly how the proof of principle will be made during the Phase I
period of performance. (2) Thermal
management for HB LEDs: High
brightness LEDs that are generally used for general illumination applications
are limited by how much heat can be conducted away from the chip and the
package. Innovations in heat
transfer strategies or materials used for substrates or packaging may provide
chip and device designers the opportunity to create even more powerful devices
that operate at higher current levels without suffering catastrophic thermal
failures. Grant applications are
sought for high thermal capacity or transport materials and films or higher
temperature tolerant structures. Applications
submitted to this subtopic must include a detailed, numeric estimate of the
likely increase in device performance possible should the project demonstrate
proof-of-concept. Theoretical model
predictions are acceptable Phase I deliverables but development of advanced
thermal models is not included here; and (3) Lifetime Issues (LEDs & OLEDs):
HB LEDs and OLEDs intended for
SSL
possess limitations on lifetimes particularly when operated at high current
densities required for general illumination applications but for very different
technical reasons. For HB LEDs,
thermal issues and phosphor degradation are the predominant mechanisms for
device failure while for OLEDs, issues associated with contaminants and defects
are thought to cause early failures. Grant
applications are sought for the development of technologies that will improve
device lifetimes. These may be
unique materials or device designs or any other method by which improvements to
practical device lifetimes will be achieved.
Applications must include detailed lifetime estimates that identify
specific mechanisms that will result in desired device lifetime improvements
without compromise in efficacy or other performance metrics.
Grant applications are also sought for the development of advanced
theoretical knowledge or computational models that could be used by other
researchers to advance devices with improved performance.
Questions - contact James Brodrick (james.brodrick@hq.doe.gov)
References:
1.
“Solid
State
Lighting Portfolio Plan,”
U.S. DOE Website, 2005.
(URL: http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/research.html)
2.
Craine, S. and Halliday, D., “White LEDs for Lighting Remote
Communities in Developing Countries,” Solid
State
Lighting and Displays: Proceedings of SPIE, 4445:39-48,
December 2001. (For ordering information and to view abstracts, see:
http://www.spie.org/app/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=toc&volume=4445)
3.
U.S. DOE, “2005 Solid-State Lighting Multi Year Plan,” http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/PDFs/SSLMultiYearPlan.pdf
4.
Schubert, E. F., “Light Emitting Diodes,” Cambridge
University
Press, 2003. (ISBN: 0-521-82330-7)
5.
Zukauskas, A., et al., “Introduction to Solid
State
Lighting,” John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002. (ISBN: 0-471-21574-0)
6.
Kafafi, Z. H., ed., “Organic
Electroluminescence,” Taylor
& Francis Group, 2005. (ISBN:
10 0-8194-5859-7) (Summary, Table of Contents, and Preface available at:
http://bookstore.spie.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=DetailVolume&productid=620711)
7.
“U.S.
Lighting
Market Characterization, Volume I: National
Lighting Inventory and Energy Consumption Estimate,” U.S.
DOE, Office
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, September 2002.
(Full text available at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/PDFs/lmc_vol1_final.pdf.
Click on title halfway down page under “SSL Technical Reports”.”)
8.
“High Intensity Discharge Lighting Technology Workshop Report,” U.S.
DOE Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, January 2006.
(Full text available at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/documents/pdfs/hid_report_111505.pdf)
9.
“6 NYCRR Sub Part 374-3, Standards for Universal Wastes,
Applicability-Lamps,” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,
Effective
March 15, 2002
.
(Full text available at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/regs/subpart374_3.html.
Under “Contents” at center of page, click on “(e) Applicability –
Lamps”.)
10.
“Mercury Emissions from the Disposal of Fluorescent Lamps,” Final Report,
U.S.
Environmental
Protection Agency,
June 30, 1997
.
(Full text available at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/merc-emi/merc-pgs/merc-rpt.pdf)
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